I often get asked for shaving advice, so I figured it was time to share my expertise with the world.

Take a hot shower. The steam will open up your pores and help prep your hairs for shaving.

Use a pre-shave oil. This is a lifesaver and will work wonders in preventing any sort of bumps or irritation that can show up after shaving. I recently had one of my friends tell me that this seemingly small bit of advice was the single most valuable tip I had ever given him. Either this is enormously helpful or I just typically give shitty advice…

Strop your razor to get it clean and sharp for use. You probably don’t need to reach for a new blade/cartridge. What's a Strop? Check it out here.

Do yourself a favor and use a decent shaving cream without all those chemical additives. A good rule of thumb--if you can’t understand the majority of the ingredients, you might not appreciate the results that come from them. Anything that comes in an aerosol can will dry the hell out of your face. I know we have been classically trained to believe that a super thick and foamy lather is best for shaving, but it really isn’t. Thankfully, there are quite a few options on the market that contain good ingredients (think: cocoa butter, shea butter, most oils, etc.)

Rinse your face with cold water. This will close up your pores. Pro tip: Take an ice cube and rub it all over your face.

Use a moisturizing aftershave balm and not some garbage that you “splash” on your face. That smooth buttery balm will protect your face when it needs it most--right after shaving. Trust me, this will make a huge difference in how your skin feels for the rest of the day.

Other tips:

Let the weight of the razor do the work. This isn’t the right opportunity to have a fight between hand and face. One of them wields a sharp object.

Use short strokes when shaving.

Avoid products with alcohol. It dries out your face.

If you use cartridge razors, the Gillette Mach 3 and Fusion razors are truly the best on the market. There is a reason that they spent over a billion dollars developing each of these razors. You typically get what you pay for with cheaper priced razors.